Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering, Doctor of Engineering (D.E.)


The Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering is designed to enable engineering and technology professionals to better apply the evolving engineering skills required for achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage in a fast-paced global economy.

Students will complete a minimum of 48 semester credit hours (SCHs) for the Doctor of Engineering (D.E.) beyond their Master of Science degree. For students who wish to emphasize engineering practice, the coursework will consist of 12 SCHs of engineering and scientific theory, 12 SCHs of electives in a specialized engineering practice, and 12 SCHs of engineering management, offered by the Lyle School of Engineering. For students who wish to emphasize applied science, the coursework will consist of 15 SCHs of engineering and scientific theory, 15 SCHs of electives in a specialized engineering practice, and 6 SCHs of engineering management, offered by the Lyle School of Engineering. The last 12 SCHs for all students in the D.E. program are earned by successfully proposing and completing an applied, use-inspired praxis.

Upon completion of the first full semester, the student and his/her advisor will devise an individual Graduate Degree Plan, in consultation with the student’s Academic Supervisory Committee. Each student’s plan will be unique, designed to meet the needs of his/her individual background and interests. The Academic Supervisory Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the Graduate Degree Plan. All students are required to have an approved degree plan in order to graduate.

The Graduate Degree Plan serves as a contract between the student, the student’s Academic Supervisory Committee, and the Lyle School of Engineering. This plan is a blueprint for successful completion of a student’s degree requirements. The approved plan must adhere to the policies of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) and the Lyle School of Engineering (SoE). Students are strongly encouraged to have an approved degree plan on file by the end of their first semester.

The Academic Supervisory Committee will consist of five members, including a committee chair who is a tenured or tenure-track ME professor, a praxis advisor who is a full-time ME faculty member, and a minimum of two other SoE professors with knowledge in the student’s area of study. A fifth member may be a qualified expert from outside ME or from industry. This committee approves the degree plan and administers the Praxis Defense. The Mechanical Engineering Department’s Graduate Committee establishes and administers the preliminary and qualifying examinations.

Degree Requirements


In addition to meeting the Lyle School of Engineering requirements for the D.E. degree, candidates are required to satisfy the following:

Credit hours in engineering and scientific theory


These credit hours (12 SCHs for students emphasizing engineering practice or 15 SCHs for students emphasizing applied science) must be taken in mechanical engineering to support the anticipated doctoral work. Courses in these areas include but are not limited to:

Credit hours of specialized engineering practice


All elective credit hours (12 SCHs for students emphasizing engineering practice or 15 SCHs for students emphasizing applied science) must come from graduate-level engineering courses and must be approved by the Academic Supervisory Committee. These courses should, in some way, complement and strengthen the student’s degree plan and be taken at the 6000 level or above.

Credit hours in engineering management


These credit hours (12 SCHs for students emphasizing engineering practice or 6 SCHs for students emphasizing applied science) must come from graduate-level courses in quantitative and qualitative aspects of engineering practice in a modern technical environment. Courses in this area include:

Twelve credit hours of praxis


The student enrolls for these credit hours in the course of preparing the praxis project.

Additional Requirements


  • Satisfactory completion of the preliminary counseling examination.
  • Satisfactory completion of the doctoral qualifying examination.
  • Satisfactory completion and defense of the doctoral praxis.